15 years
by Ishagu
Summary: If you've read and enjoyed some of my other work, you should give this a try. This is a drama set 15 years after the event that transpired in the show. Third Impact never occured, and the world has pretty much returned to normal. But what of the pilots?
1. Prologue

Yes, it is I. The same person who brought to you the legendary fanfic: "Cupid's Arrow." It's about time I got off my ass and brought you another story. Yes, I know that I've left CA unfinished, but I just got my comp fixed, and with all the time I've spent away from it, I've come up with some pretty cool ideas for stories.  
  
This particular fic will actually be a drama which is set 15 years after the events in the original show. In this universe, Third Impact never occured, and the inhabitants of the great Tokyo 3 have now re-built their city, and are living normal and un-inspired lives. But, as in any good Anime inspired fan fiction-write up, peace cannot last for long...  
  
********************  
  
Prologue  
  
*Nerv Branch - Germany*  
  
This base couldn't be more different from the secretive Japanese HQ that stood as the front for the Angel wars 15 years prior. Unlike it's former cousin, this new German branch had been built as a science facility for the betterment of man-kind.  
  
The base was compromised of many small offices and laboratories, conjoined by brightly lit corridors that would have clashed against the old designs and colour patterns used by the Japanese.  
  
Two figures, both distinctly feminine, were making their way through one of these long corridors, and were currently conversing in an animated fashion. One of them was dressed in a standard issue lab coat, the other in a military get up that bore some pretty impressive insignia.  
  
"Wow, I would never have thought you'd ascend so high up in rank!"  
  
"Are you saying you had doubts, Hurshy?"  
  
"Of couse not." The younger of the two women smiled. "You must be proud!"  
  
"Asuka Langley Sohryu is always proud!" The red head bellowed out with a raised voice.  
  
"Alright... Geez..." Hurshy paused and scanned around for a moment. "Do you mind keeping it down? There are some people around here who'd like to get some work done!"  
  
"Are you calling me a slacker?" Asuka said as she stared her friend down.  
  
"Of course not!" Hurshy defended.  
  
"You shall address me by my proper rank, Lieutenant!" Asuka stated harshly, although in reality she was just playing around.  
  
"Yes, Sub Commander." Hurshy replied, lacing her words with sarcasm.  
  
Asuka grunted as the two continued their walk again.  
  
"So, are the rumours true?" The younger woman asked as she turned her head to look at the red head walking besides her.  
  
"What rumours?"  
  
"You know what I'm talking about." The woman said exasperated. "The rumours about the Evangelion that will be transported here from Japan."  
  
Asuka sighed. "Yeah, they are true. Unit 01 will be arriving within the month."  
  
"Unit 01?!" Hurshy eyes widened in both surprise and amazement.   
  
"Yes, the very same."  
  
"But I had been told that apart from it's original pilot, no one else can clear the borderline."  
  
"That was true in a sense, but the new pilot has received special training from Unit 01's original operator."  
  
"The famous Shinji Ikari?" For a second time in this particular conversation, Hurshy could not contain her surprise at the news.  
  
Asuka provided no answer to this question. The two women were now approaching an intersection between two corridors.  
  
"Well, I still have those reports to compile..." Hurshy said as she broke off from her red-headed companion and took the left turn. "I'll see you later, Asuka!" She said as she disappeared from view.  
  
Now left to her own thoughts, Asuka paused in her walk and pulled out a small, crumpled photograph from the pocket of her jacket.  
  
She looked down at a picture of herself from 15 years ago. She wore a confident smile, one that spoke of her pride and achievements in life. It was very different from the shy grin that the other occupant of the photo had. The blue-eyed boy who she had not seen in over 13 years.  
  
Thirteen long years had passed since that day when Asuka had left Tokyo 03 behind. Her co-workers, her friends...   
  
...him.  
  
She could still recall the sad look on his face as he waved her away at the terminal. She never waved back.  
  
Asuka was glad that she was alone in the corridor now. It meant that no one could see the single tear drop as it slowly made it's way down her cheek.  
  
********************  
  
*Tokyo 03*  
  
A man in his late twenties was walking through a large shopping mall with a young girl gripping on to his arm.  
  
"I'm so glad you decided to take me out shopping, Shinji!"  
  
"A promise is a promise." He replied half heartedly.  
  
The two stopped at a large clothing shop. The young girl asked Shinji to sit and relax while she went to look for a nice dress.  
  
It wasn't long before she returned.  
  
"What do you think of this Shinji?"  
  
He looked the dress... or lack-there-of, up and down. "Don't you think you're a bit too young for that, Hitomi?"  
  
"Nah." She smiled. "It's latest fashion, all the women are wearing it."  
  
Shinji sighed. "I still don't agree with it."  
  
"But you like it, right?"   
  
"Uh..."  
  
She beamed at him. "Great! I can wear this when you take me out on our first date!"  
  
"Don't you think you should find someone who's your age?"  
  
Hitomi's smile turned upside down. "All the boys my age are idiots!"  
  
Shinji sighed again. "You know, you remind me of someone I used to know a long time ago."  
  
"Must have been a great person." She winked as she walked away to scout around for more dresses.   
  
Again, left on his own, Shinji couldn't help but recall some memories of his former roommate and friend; Asuka Langley Sohryu.  
  
Well, he had to be honest with himself. She had never really been a friend, at least she didn't see him as one. He remembered how he had stood by her side when she was in a coma.  
  
He was there when she awoke. He was there for her recovery, he helped her in what-ever way he could.  
  
Truth be told, he was prepared to do anything for her. Although he couldn't admit it to himself at the time, he actually loved her. The scar of when she left him had never quite healed. After everything he did for her, she just walked away without looking back. Left him behind.  
  
Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he sighed to himself again. "It was a long time ago... I don't dwell on that past anymore."  
  
---  
  
To be Continued.  
  
Well, there it was, the first chapter. I hope you like this story. No, this will not be a WAFFY Asuka/Shinji fic, I'm going to try and be realistic this time.  
  
Till Later. 


	2. 1st Chapter

You guys caught on the Kaji/Misato link pretty quick. Well, I intended to make it the way it is, but it will change later on.  
  
Anyway, the first chapter was only a prologue. The real stuff begins now.  
  
********************  
  
Chapter 1  
  
---  
  
A month passed quickly for Shinji and Hitomi. Before either one of them realized, they were saying farewell to their close friends and co-workers at the airport.  
  
Shinji was surrounded by large group of people, mainly his old time friends from school and some from Nerv. Misato was also amongst them.  
  
Hitomi was giving her best friend one last hug before she took a step back and said her final goodbye.  
  
"Don't look so sad guys, we won't be gone forever." Shinji assured everyone around him.  
  
"Heh, that's our Shinji!" Touji patted Shinji on the back with his good arm. Although the ex-jock had been given the best artificial limbs available after the Unit 03 incident, they were still no match for his originals. Because of this, his prowess at sports had been nullified and his phisique had suffered because of it.  
  
Kensuke grinned from behind his camera as he recorded the event.  
  
Turning back to the people that surrounded him, Shinji noticed something strange.  
  
"Misato, are you crying?"  
  
She sniffed. "I'm sorry, Shinji... I just get so emotional sometimes..." Not being able to hold back any longer, she rushed over to him and pulled him in to a hug. Although Misato was now at an age well above forty, her natural beauty still remained pretty much un-changed.  
  
"You just hurry back... okay?"  
  
He smiled. "Sure."  
  
********************  
  
*German Nerv Branch*  
  
Two large doors opened automatically, admitting Asuka in to the office of the base's number one in charge. It was as though an ominous darkness hovered above the mysterious commander.  
  
"You wanted to see me sir?"  
  
"That is correct." He shuffled some papers on his desk. "Today is the day that Unit 01 and it's pilot will be arriving from Japan."  
  
"I am already aware of that."  
  
"Yes, that's right." He took one of the sheets and threw it in to a bin at the side of his desk. "I want you to be the one to greet the new pilot when she arrives at the base."  
  
"Alright." She turned to leave.  
  
"Before you go…" She paused and looked back at the commander as he spoke. "The Pilot will have an escort with her. I believe it is someone you are familiar with."  
  
"Is that relevant?"  
  
"Not really." The commander smirked. "I just thought you'd like to know."  
  
She remained at attention for a few moments.  
  
"You may go, Sub-Commander."  
  
"Yes sir."  
  
********************  
  
*The skies over the Pacific Ocean*  
  
The gigantic aircraft flew at a steady pace high above the clouds. It carried the silent form of the purple Evangelion with it.  
  
Shinji made his way over to the cockpit to talk with the pilots.  
  
"Why are we flying over the pacific? It would be a quicker route to Germany if we flew in the opposite direction."  
  
"Yes that's true." One of the crewmen replied. "But we have our orders."  
  
"The safety of this aircraft?"  
  
The Captain turned in his chair to look at Shinji. "Nerv still has many enemies; the skies over the seas are the safest."  
  
Satisfied with the answer, Shinji returned to his seat at the far end of the transport. He saw that Hitomi was waving for him to hurry up and join her.  
  
"Hey, where did you go?"  
  
"I was just curious about something." He replied.  
  
"So, how long is the journey to Germany going to take?" Hitomi asked him.  
  
"It will be about 12 more hours before we arrive and touch down."  
  
"Aww man, that's ages."  
  
Shinji sighed deeply.  
  
"I'm glad you decided to come with me." She told him after a while.  
  
He smiled. "I couldn't let you go off all on your own now, could I?" Shinji cringed as he received a light punch to his shoulder for his trouble.  
  
The girl smiled at her handy work and wrapped herself around his arm. "We're gonna have a lot fo fun, aren't we?"  
  
Shinji eyed her suspiciously. "Um... I guess."  
  
"Yay!"  
  
********************  
  
*German Nerv Branch - Central Runway*  
  
Asuka looked up at the plane that was slowly descending to their position.  
  
"Well I'll be... They actually came on time."  
  
---  
  
The door to the gigantic aircraft slowly opened and an ecstatic looking girl hopped down the stairs leading to the ground.  
  
Asuka watched with a twitch in her eye as the girl ran circles around her. Eventually she stopped and walked up to face the Sub Commander.  
  
"Sorry about that." The girl smiled. "I had some excess energy to burn off. I'm Hitomi, Unit 01's current active pilot."  
  
"Right." Asuka's gaze finally softened. "I'm Sub Commander Sohryu."  
  
"I'm pleased to meet you."  
  
"Same here." Asuka nodded. "I was told that you would be escorted here by someone?"  
  
"Oh?" Suddenly Hitomi's eyes began to sparkle and she smiled again. "He'll be coming down in a minute."  
  
"Hey Hitomi, were you talking about me?" A voice sounded from behind them.  
  
When Asuka looked at who had spoken, it took her a few moments to process the information. In front of her, there stood a tall, good looking man the same age as her. She was amazed when the realization of who it was sunk in. Gone was the skinny frame, now replaced with broad shoulders. Gone were those sad and uncertain eyes, yet the new ones were still that same blue that would haunt her every time she closed hers.  
  
"S-Shinji?"  
  
He looked at her for a moment before answering. "Oh... You must be the Sub-Commander." He said in a level voice. "I see you've already met Hitomi."  
  
The girl in question smiled at being mentioned and latched on to Shinji again.  
  
Asuka could only stutter. "Y-Yes."  
  
"Well," Shinji spoke up. "I have some unloading to do, so if you'll excuse me..." He turned and walked away, with Hitomi skipping behind him.  
  
********************  
  
Asuka walked in to her office and shut the door behind her. Collapsing on a chair, all she could do was sigh. Her mind was quickly spinning out of control.   
  
Shinji.   
  
Shinji was here.   
  
The same Shinji from thirteen years ago... though he wasn't the same anymore...  
  
A knock on the door snapped her out of her thoughts.  
  
"Come in." She said aloud. The door opened revealing her friend Hurshy.  
  
"Hey, what's up Asuka?"  
  
"A lot of things..."  
  
Her friend looked puzzled for a moment. "Oh yeah, the new pilot arrived today. So, have you met her yet?"  
  
"I did." Asuka replied.  
  
"Really? What's she like?"  
  
"I honestly don't know..." She replied, carried away. Remembering something in the back of her head Asuka looked down at her watch. "Look, Hurshy, I'd like to talk to you but there are some things I have to do." Standing up she walked to the door. "I'll see you later, okay?"  
  
"Yeah, sure." Hurshy said, waving her hand a bit. "It's no prob, I'll see you later!"  
  
********************  
  
Shinji and Hitomi were seated in one of the Nerv Cafe's, and were enjoying a drink of some colourful and surprisingly tasty soda.  
  
"So, how come we're just waiting here?" Hitomi asked him.  
  
"This is where we're supposed to meet the Sub Commander." He explained. "Apparently she'll be the one to show us to the apartment we'll be staying in."  
  
Hitomi looked up at the news. "We're going to be sharing in the same apartment?"  
  
"We could be..." He sounded unsure. "But I'm pretty certain they'll give us separate rooms." He assured her.   
  
Unknown to him, Hitomi was greatly disappointed by what he had said. "Hey look, here she comes." The young girl said pointing in a direction behind him.  
  
He turned to see Asuka approaching their table.  
  
"Hi." She said.  
  
"Hello." Hitomi and Shinji both replied.  
  
"Mind if I join you guys?" Asuka asked them. Shinji shrugged while Hitomi pointed to the empty seat beside her.  
  
All three of them were quiet for a moment before Asuka chose to break the ice.  
  
"So Shinji... it really has been a while hasn't it?"  
  
He was silent for a moment. "Yes." He finally said. "It has."  
  
"You two know each-other?" Hitomi asked aloud. She was quite frightened at the prospect of this attractive redhead being close to her object of affection.  
  
"Indeed we do." Asuka answered. "Although it's been so long since we've spoken to each-other."  
  
Shinji nodded.  
  
"Anyway," Asuka chose to change the subject and turned to Hitomi. "How did you end up as the pilot for Unit 01?"  
  
"I was chosen out of a number of potential candidates." Hitomi replied.  
  
"And you pilot Unit 01?" Asuka asked. "I didn't think that anyone apart from Shinji could do it."  
  
Shinji chose to answer this question. "There are no limits to what anyone can achieve. I trained her myself, I showed her how to open her mind to the Eva. Her sync ratio is almost at the same level as mine."  
  
Asuka was very impressed by the strong tone Shinji used to answer her question. It left no room for error; He knew what he was talking about.  
  
"Well, you guys would probably like to get some rest." Asuka said as she stood up. "Why don't I give you a ride to the place you'll be staying?" The question was rhetorical of course.  
  
The trio walked over to Asuka's car and they soon departed.  
  
"Your stuff has already been delivered." She told them from behind the wheel of the sporty red car. "You're all set for a good rest until tomorrow."  
  
********************  
  
When they arrived at their new residence, Shinji and Hitomi couldn't help but be impressed. They weren't given an apartment, but instead they had been provided with a nice medium sized suburban house.  
  
"Well, this sure is better than what they provide us with in Japan." Shinji commented.  
  
"Germany knows how to treat people!" Asuka stated boldly.  
  
The trio walked up to the front door. Shinji opened the door but before he could walk in he was interrupted by Asuka.  
  
"Shinji, can I talk to you for a moment?"  
  
He looked back at her before telling Hitomi to go inside and have a look around. She complied, but not before giving Asuka a suspicious glare.  
  
When to door was closed he finally spoke. "Yes?"  
  
"Shinji, how would you like to go to dinner tomorrow night? We could catch up on old times." Asuka suggested.  
  
He looked away for a while before he shook his head.  
  
"The day after, maybe?" Asuka asked him hopefully.  
  
"No." He replied flatly.  
  
"But Shinji, it's been so long, it just wouldn't be right if we didn't spend some time together." She offered. "Just like old time."  
  
She had hoped that this would convince him, but instead she was surprised when an angry expression took over the features on his face.  
  
"Tell me Asuka." He hissed. "Do you remember what I told you that day before you left Japan?"  
  
She was surprised, but after a while she nodded.  
  
"I believe I said that I would always remain by your side, and that I'd never leave you."  
  
She looked down at the floor when his words sunk in.  
  
"I would have never broken that promise... but in the end, it was you who left me..." His anger was gone now, replaced with a look of sadness and regret. "Maybe it would have been better if I had never said anything..."  
  
She could no longer look at his face. She felt so ashamed and guilty. "Shinji... I..." She was silenced when he lifted his hand up.  
  
"I'm sorry Asuka..." He said quietly. "...I just don't want you in my life again. I hope you can understand."  
  
With that said he walked in to the house and quietly shut the door, leaving Asuka alone outside.  
  
It took her a while to realize that she was crying. It was silent, but there was no mistaking it. She tried to wipe the tears away as she made her way down to her car.  
  
"Damn it..." She sighed as she buried her face in the steering wheel. "Why...?"  
  
---  
  
To be continued...  
  
********************  
  
I hope you liked that chapter. I'm afraid it will be a while before my next update. I can only really work on my stories during the week-ends. 


	3. 2nd Chapter

Here's chapter three of my new story. I will split my attention between this and CA evenly, although I need to work a bit more on this for the moment. I found it weird that no one asked about the commander of the German Nerv branch. If you look closely at the last chapter he remained a mystery. Well, whether he puzzled you or not, it will be made clear in this chapter.   
  
Brace yourselves for OOC behaviour to the max!  
  
---  
  
-15 Years  
  
Chapter 2  
  
********************  
  
Asuka entered her house and shut the door behind her. Kicking her shoes off, she walked deeper in to the house. Being the sub-commander of the German Nerv branch paid well, and it showed. The furniture and appliances around the house were all of the highest quality, and thus also price. The place had a nice theme which gave the impression of warmth.   
  
As the red haired woman looked around, she couldn't help but sigh. Nice as the place was, it lacked something. That something was quite obvious to her now. She was alone, she had no one for company.   
  
All her life she had pushed everyone away, but by now the loneliness was starting to get to her. Looking back on her life, she had never been in a situation like the one she was in now. At first she had been with Kaji, and then she had moved in with Shinji and Misato. Although she would have never admitted to it in the past, she greatly enjoyed their company. After she came back to Germany she had made some friends, but they could never be as close as Shinji or Misato had been. It's funny how you don't realize you have something until it's gone.  
  
One thing she was never very fond of however; was drinking. Alcohol was one of the few things that you could not find in the house. Taking an orange soda from the fridge, and a few snacks from her stock-piles, she lay back on her couch and started watching TV.  
  
The usual soaps offered a slight form of relief, but her mind soon found itself wondering back to the days gone by. Shinji's arrival had sparked a few old memories, and she couldn't help herself but go back to them every time she was alone.  
  
---  
  
*FLASHBACK*  
  
The beep... beep... beep... of the heart monitor was the only sound in the otherwise quiet room, apart from the almost silent breathing of two people. The red haired girl was lying motionless in the bed, while the sleeping boy occupied the chair next to it.  
  
Almost unnoticeably, the heart rate of the sleeping girl slowly began to quicken. One eye, followed by the other slowly opened, momentarily blinded by the change from dark to light.  
  
As if by some mysterious force, this also caused the sleeping boy to stir from his uncomfortable sleeping position.  
  
As the girl's eyes adjusted to the bright light, she slowly turned to face the boy, who was now staring at her with an almost unbelieving expression.  
  
"S-Shinji...?" She asked weakly.  
  
"Asuka!" He quickly stood up and ran to door. "Hey, come quick!" He yelled down the corridor before he ran back to Asuka's side. "Asuka... you're awake!"  
  
"B... Baka..." Was all she could say. She felt so weak, no energy to move or speak. Every once of strength she had was going in to keeping her eyes open.  
  
"Don't worry Asuka." He told her. "You'll be alright."  
  
********************  
  
*Two Weeks Later - Katsuragi Apartment*  
  
As the apartment door opened, the voice of two teenagers began to get louder as they walked through it and in to the apartment.  
  
"See, I told you you'd be out of there in no time." Shinji said half jokingly.  
  
"Baka!" Asuka yelled at him. "They kept me in there for two whole weeks!"  
  
Shinji's smile became almost wistful. "And I was there most of the time, wasn't I?"  
  
Asuka almost blushed at the thought of someone doing the kinds of things that Shinji had done for her. She wondered if she really deserved to have a friend like him.  
  
"Well, I'll go and throw something together for us to eat." Shinji said as he began to walk towards the kitchen. "You can go and watch some TV if you want. I'm sure you'd like to catch up with all the stuff you've missed."  
  
Asuka took a hold of his hand before he got in to the kitchen.  
  
"Shinji?"  
  
He turned his head so he could look at her. "What is it Asuka?"  
  
"Thanks..." she mumbled. "For everything..."  
  
"No problem."  
  
*END FLASHBACK*  
  
---  
  
Asuka had totally spaced out, but now she came back to reality. She turned the TV off and decided to call it a day. Sighing deeply, the now adult Second Child retreated in to her lonely bedroom.  
  
********************  
  
*Shinji and Hitomi's house*  
  
Shinji sat down at the kitchen table after making himself a hot cup of tea. The whole place reminded him of Misato's apartment, though it was a house.  
  
Hitomi walked in to the kitchen and sat on the table across from Shinji. As she settled down, she cast her eyes towards him and a dream expression over took the features on her face. After 5 minutes of being stared at, Shinji finally decided to say something.  
  
"Shouldn't you be in bed?"  
  
She smiled and blinked away. "Nah... I'm not tired." On retrospect, she struggled to contain a yawn.  
  
Shinji smiled. "Honestly, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow. You should go to bed."  
  
"And you'll be coming with me?"  
  
"Huh... No! I mean... Hitomi!"  
  
"Aww... meanie!" She stuck her tongue out at Shinji.  
  
Shinji sighed again, obviously resigned, and continued to drink his tea.  
  
"So, tell me." The young girl spoke again. "What is it between you and that woman?"  
  
"What woman?"  
  
"You know who I'm talking about!" Hitomi accused loudly. "The Sub-commander, Asuka or what-ever her name is."  
  
"Oh." Shinji looked up at her again. "Nothing." He took another sip from his tea. "Anything that was once between us is now in the past."  
  
Hitomi actually looked relieved at this. Was she jealous of Asuka? That seemed like the most plausible explanation.  
  
"Well, if that's the way it is..." She stood up. "I might as well catch some sleep." She walked out the door. "Good night Shinji!" She yelled from the top floor.  
  
********************  
  
*Nerv - German Branch*  
  
The supreme commander sat in his office, conversing indirectly with a mysterious group. The only means of communication between them was a small microphone at the side of his desk, and an equally small speaker next to it.  
  
"We might have lost many of our allies after the defeat of the Angels, but an opportunity has once again presented itself." He spoke in to the microphone.  
  
"That is correct." A voice replied.  
  
"But what of the Second Angel?" Another voice asked.  
  
"Yes, what of Lilith?"  
  
The mysterious commander smiled. "Everything is in place."  
  
The first voice that was heard spoke again. "I hope you're right... Keel."  
  
The line was terminated, and Keel of SEELE, relaxed in his seat. His ominous eye visor ever watchful of his dark surroundings.  
  
---  
  
To be Continued...  
  
********************  
  
Hope you enjoyed this chapter. The story won't be as obvious as it first seemed. The next chapter will focus back on Shinji/Asuka developments. Also the activation of Unit 01 will be mentioned.  
  
SEELE are now officially involved, and Keel is in charge of the branch. 


	4. Update on progress

I've been getting e-mails with complaints. Look, I am sorry about this delay, and believe me it isn't my choice or fault. My old computer caught fire, literally. I couldn't back any of my files up and so I've been thrown back by quite a bit. On the bright side you guys should look forward to an update to at least one of my stories by the end of the week. 


End file.
